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J. L. BOYER & J. KINSEY. Wire-Fences and Fence-Posts.

No. 226,385. Patented April 13, 1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEFIcE.

JOHN L. BOYER AND JOSEPH KINSEY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GLOBE ROLLING MILL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE FENCE AND FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,385, dated April 13, 1880.

Application filed September 29, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN L. BoYER and .TosEPH KINSEY, both of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Fences and Fence-Posts; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to which our invention belongs to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of afencepost and foot constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the foot constructed to receive two posts for the formation of a gate or opening in the fence. Fig. 3 is a top-plan view of the foot. Fig. 4 is a transverse section thereof and of the foot. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the means employed for bracing the fence-posts; and Fig. 6, a sectional view,showing the means for securing the fence-wire to the posts.

Similar letters of reference in the drawings denote the same parts.

Our invention relates to that class of fenceposts employed in the construction of barbedwire fencing, and it is designed to improve the means by which such posts are secured in the ground and braced at suitable points, as well as to adapt the fence for being opened at any cglzesired point for the passage of vehicles, stock, a 0.

To this end the invention consists, first, in a cast-iron foot composed of a plate and socket to receive the fence-post and a series of prongs on the under side of the plate, by which the foot can be readily driven into the ground and afford the proper vertical and lateral support for the post.

It also consists in constructing said foot to receive two or more separate posts for the purpose of adapting the fence to be opened to form a gateway.

It also consists in the means employed for bracing the posts at an angle of the fence or at a straining-post, as I will presently describe.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the foot of a fence-post, composed of castiron in the form of a flat cap or plate, B, having a series of prongs, Cthree being the preferable number-pro ectin g from its under side. The prongs are pointed at their ends to facilitate their being driy en into the ground, and

are preferably angular in cross-section to afford the requisite strength, as well as to easily penetrate the earth. They may, however, be made of any other desired form suitable for the purpose. The cap B may also be made of an) suitable form; but for convenience and economy, of construction the circular form shown in the drawings is perhaps the best. The cap is cast with one or more openings, D, extending into sockets E, cast on the under side between the prongs to receive and support the fence-posts F, which may be made of angle or other shaped wrought-iron.

In order to make the posts as light as possible consistent with the necessary strength, we prefer to employ the angle-iron, and for this reason the holes and sockets in the foot are shaped to correspond thereto.

The post is set up for making the fence by first driving the prongs of the foot into the ground until the cap rests upon the surface or is embedded therein. Then the post is inserted through the hole in the cap and stepped in the socket, where it is prevented from dropping or being forced through by a cross-bar cast in the socket or closing its lower end. By this means the posts are readily set up, and can be easily removed from the foot when necessary, while the latter affords a strong vertical support and lateral brace for the posts and fence.

The prongs C, it will be observed, are arranged at or near the circumference of the cap and the socket E at or near the center of the cap. The prongs and socket therefore brace the foot laterally, the socket E furnishing an additional prong to strengthen and stiffen the structure.

If it is desired to form an opening or gate in the fence at any point, feet east with a double socket and two holes are employed to receive two separate posts side by side, each connected with its panel of wire fencing.

To open the gate it is only necessary to lift one or both of the posts out of the foot, and then swing or carry them out of the line of fence sufficiently to make the necessary opening, the fence-wires readily bending or yielding for this purpose.

To close the gateway the fence-posts are lifted and reset in the foot. The fence may be adapted to be opened at any predetermined point without the use of the double foot by placing two single feet side by side to receive their respective posts; but the double foot is the best and cheapest means. The double foot can also be employed to advantage at a fence-corner or other point where a change of direction is necessary.

To brace a straining or other post we employ an iron brace, G, bent so that one end shall be slipped in the socket of a foot placed at the proper point near the fence-post, while the opposite end fits against said post and is bolted or otherwise secured thereto. When the brace and post are made of angle-iron the former is so bent that the upper end shall fit against and conform to the angle of the post, thereby affording the best and strongest connection of the two.

The fence-wires H are secured to the fenceposts by means of staples I, which embrace the wires at the angle of the posts, and after being inserted within holes formed at such angles are bent over against the inner side of the posts. This forms a cheap and secure mode of fastening the fence-wires, and adapts them to be conveniently detached when necessary.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. The cast-metal foot for fence-posts, consisting of the top plate, B, provided with prongs 0, one or more post-holes, D, and one or more sockets, E, registering with the postholes and projecting downward from the under side of the cap to form an additional prong and brace, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a metal fence-post with a east-iron foot, composed of a cap, B, cast with a series of prongs, O, a post-hole, D, and a socket, E, projecting from the under side of the cap B between the series of prongs and registering with the holes D, to receive and support the post, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the caps B B, provided with prongs 0, one or more post-holes, D, and one or more sockets, E, projecting downward from the under side of the cap to form an additional prong and brace and registering with the holes D, of the fence-post F and brace Gr, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention we .here unto set our hands this 2d day'of September, A. D. 1879.

JOHN L. BOYER. JOSEPH KINSEY.

Witnesses:

N. K. ELLSWORTH, CHARLES BUscH. 

